I only need 13 clubs... is that weird?

[supashu]

I think I'll get both a driving iron of some sort and a high lofted wedge and just swap them out depending on the course and conditions. As for the left handed club... I'd probably hurt someone if I attempted to swing a left handed club in the middle of a round lol. No chance.

[Double Dutch]

13 clubs is plenty. BUT, if you can spare the cash, there are clubs out there that can add to your fun on the course. If I were you, I’d get a 64* Callaway SureOut wedge. It may not be pretty, but it will give you some magical shots, and it’s not nearly as difficult or risky as a bladed wedge.

 

[Tommy56]

Just because the rule states 14 is the max, everyone can carry less if they want. In my case, 7 is sufficient.

[chch3]

I used to play with 12.

[Sean2]

I'd get a 64* Callaway PM Grind or Taylormade Hi-Toe for those weird lies or situations you can find yourself in.

 

I had a hole in my bag as well. Put in a 62º. Great for shots around the green when you don't have much green to work with, along with flop shots.

[buckeyefl]

Not weird at all OP. I played 10 years with 13 clubs with zero issues.

[augustgolf]

I grew up playing with only 13 clubs...turned pro and passed my PAT with 13 clubs....

 

Now, I find it hard to whittle it down to 16, and I don't play very often.

 

Guess I need a club for each stroke I might take.

 

Can anyone suggest a good bag that can hold 85 or so clubs?

[Nixhex524]

I have tried to carry 14, just because I can. But I find I don't need to so I went from carrying two hybrids to just 1 and play a 50/56 wedge set up. Can't say I have been feeling like I need something else, I feel like with the 13 I have it keeps things a little more simple.

[tannyhoban]

My bag has 15 slots. That one empty slot bugs me.

[Silicon Valley Dale]

Funny (to me anyways) story.

 

I started golfing again with my dad this last summer. Hadn't played a round with him in probably 15 years but have since played probably 20 rounds with him. I'm very glad we are again. He's horrible so for Xmas I got him a series of lessons. I spot him 18 strokes and win 90% of the time, and I'm not great.

 

Anyways, one of the first rounds back golfing together I realized that I had miscounted prior to leaving home and I had 15 clubs with me. It was a quick check done before I'd even started stretching, let alone warming up. I informed him of this and declared one of the two drivers I'd had with me out of play. That wasn't good enough for the old guy and he insisted I put one into his bag. I wasn't using it anyways so I handed it over.

 

On to the part that cracks me up. Some rules of golf he follows to the letter, and insists that everyone playing with him does as well. 14 clubs is one of them. This man has never had a bad lie in his life. He'll place every ball, fairway, rough, or bunker to the exact best place he can. No worries on my end, it just cracks me up how righteous he can be on rules that he follows, yet on rules he doesn't he can justify them any way he sees fit.

 

Another example, and this was a casual non-posting round, the course we were on had put down new sand. It was very light and fluffy so I told him that I was going to take a practice swing away from the ball just to see how the sand reacted. He called me everything from a cheat to less of a man just because of this. When he got done cussing me he rolled his ball out of the fairway divot he was in and played it.

 

When I try to point out his hypocrisy, he always reverts back to "when they pay me to play this game, I'll play it down". I then try to point out that we don't really get to pick which rules we follow, we are either playing by the rules or we aren't-and when I'm playing with him I treat them all as practice rounds and am not playing by the rules.

 

Still cracks me up though since his rules of what is a righteous cheat are pretty much in line with what is convenient for him that day. If I've strayed from the regular rules AT ALL, I'm a lowly cheat. I Have a great time golfing with him, and am usually grinning ear to ear on what he'll take exception to that given day.

[Silicon Valley Dale]

My bag has 15 slots. That one empty slot bugs me.

 

Ball retriever, duh. When I was 18 I used to golf a lot with a group of retirees. Slowest group ever since they'd all circle every body of water on the course and pick up every ball they could get their grubby mitts on. This was back in the day when 90% of people walked everything. Those riding were the nose in the air crowd.

[sdandrea]

I use 8 to 11 clubs regularly..........................but I might be weird.

[ChipNRun]

Difficult to answer. Some seasons I want 15 clubs, some seasons just 13 clubs. Can't hit magic 14! :dntknw:

[Equipto]

I have a buddy that plays 13 clubs and I tell him he is weird all the time. But hell, he beats me all the time so what do I know

[GTgolf]

I really only use 12 clubs.

 

14 club: D-3w-2h-4h

4i-pw

50*-54*

P

 

I never hit my 3w, or 4h/4i really. Maybe once a round combined. Only used in rare certain situations.

 

Probably my weakest clubs in the bag as well. Doesn't help.

 

 

[buckeyefl]

I grew up playing with only 13 clubs...turned pro and passed my PAT with 13 clubs....

 

Now, I find it hard to whittle it down to 16, and I don't play very often.

 

Guess I need a club for each stroke I might take.

 

Can anyone suggest a good bag that can hold 85 or so clubs?

 

Same here on the PAST.

 

One club I worked at had a group of guys who would gamble for big bucks and I don't think any of them carried less than 20 clubs.

 

One day the guy that "caddied" for them asked me if I had time to change Mr. X grips. I said sure but as I checked the clubs out I noticed most of the grips we're basically new. I asked why he wanted them changed.

 

"Well before he hit a shot Mr. Y came over and pulled a club from Mr. X bag and asked how in the world he hit his clubs with all if the grips worn out and slippery"

 

I laughed at the gamesmanship and then he told me that Mr. X actually flung a club , claiming it slipped. Golfers minds are awesome.

 

Anyway Mr X carried 22-23 clubs which included multiple wedges of the same brand and lofts. I had the caddie explain to me the use, and there was a use/shot for each one. Mr X came up to me after his next round, gave me a big tip and let me know how much better the new grips played.

 

Oh they all carried staff bags to hold their collection of clubs.

[John L.]

I rarely ever had more than 12 clubs in my bag and always used a single SW my entire life in the 55-56 degree loft range.

 

I'm not saying it's a smart idea, but I never stood in the middle of the fairway for 5 freaking minutes deciding on which of my 4 wedges to hit like some of my hooligan buddies either.

[Chuck905]

I simply take the 14 clubs by virtue since there aren’t many advantages that golf will give you.

 

If anything, I’d wish we go 15 clubs with an extra driver or strong 3 wood pulling my stock 3 wood for my 1 iron utility.

[maverickblue76]

I'm too indecisive around the greens with my array of 4 wedges. I am taking out the 54 and 50 and replacing with a 52 to simplify my choices. I'll be trying the lucky 13 option.

[lopey986]

I thought about switching to a 2 wedge set up and going down to 13 clubs. PW is 45 so going with a 52-58 or 50-56 might be nice.

[54putts]

Not weird at all. I have 2 wedges, 3W, 3H between driver and 4 iron. Can’t think of another club I really need.

[Kevlar10]

I only carry 13 because my bag only has slots for 13. I never realized that 14 was an option until recently. I just assumed 13 was the rule until it was pointed out to me that I can carry 14. I don’t always carry the same 13. If I’m on a short course, I may take out the 3w or 3i. I have added a 2i and an Aw to my roster.

[MattMo]

I'm sure that I'm not the only one with this scenario: went from Ping i-series 4-U (23* - 50*) to Ping G425 5-U (23.5* - 49.5*), essentially eliminating one club within the same loft span.  So I guess I'm down to 13 without a true need for anything else.  I'll see how this translates to real course results once I put the new irons in play.  Maybe add the G425 4-iron or a 22* hybrid, if needed?

[dbleag]

On 1/18/2018 at 9:41 PM, adizero said:

I have been playing with 12 clubs since mid 2000’s, scores were the same as before. No biggie!

 

Me, too, for the past 3 years.  

 

It seems like plenty of clubs and my bag is less crowded at the top - love that also.  

[hobbstc]

I use 12.  D - 3h - 5i-GW - 56 - 60 - putter.

 

Might try a 3w at some point, but honestly I hit the 3h off the tee about the same distance for the gap I need that I would hit the 3w and I'm completely confident in it.  I use the GW from 110 down to about 80yds and just change my swing for it.  I'm much more consistent that way.  I don't use the 56 or 60 for full shots.

[Texas Golfer]

17 minutes ago, hobbstc said:

I use 12.  D - 3h - 5i-GW - 56 - 60 - putter.

 

Might try a 3w at some point, but honestly I hit the 3h off the tee about the same distance for the gap I need that I would hit the 3w and I'm completely confident in it.  I use the GW from 110 down to about 80yds and just change my swing for it.  I'm much more consistent that way.  I don't use the 56 or 60 for full shots.

I don’t use a 56 or 60 for full shots either.  Bad things happened whenever I tried.  Also don’t really see much difference in a 3h and 4h at my skill level.

[Phabs]

Just add a ball retriever … good to go. 

[North Butte]

8 hours ago, MattMo said:

I'm sure that I'm not the only one with this scenario: went from Ping i-series 4-U (23* - 50*) to Ping G425 5-U (23.5* - 49.5*), essentially eliminating one club within the same loft span.  So I guess I'm down to 13 without a true need for anything else.  I'll see how this translates to real course results once I put the new irons in play.  Maybe add the G425 4-iron or a 22* hybrid, if needed?

The trend of some sets nowadays spreading out the lofts a little, especially in the shorter clubs, is very welcome to me. I am a short hitter so most modern iron sets have barely 10 yards from club to club. Starting with the G-series Pings and now with a set of Callaway irons I recently bought I'm no longer carrying eight clubs to cover the 100-170 yard range, it's just seven clubs to do the same job.

 

But yeah, it means 13 clubs are plenty unless I want to carry a chipper or a gimmick wedge or two putters or two drivers (but I'm no Phil Mickelson). I like it, more room in the bag!

[Mcgeeno]

I have no doubt I could remove 3 clubs and my handicap would stay the same or improve slightly off of where it currently sits due to not trying the odd silly shot with a club I rarely use.

 

I hit my 3 wood once every 2-3 weeks at best. I much prefer to hit my driving iron off the tee. It's actually a surprise if I end up considering it on any given day. Its never been a club I liked much and it just takes up a spot in my bag because its allowed.

 

Typically I hit my GW softer instead of my SW so the 55 rarely gets a ton of work. Dropping one or the other wouldnt even register for me much at all.

 

Same goes for the mid irons. When I had game golf and arccos tabs it was funny to see how often I would prefer to use a hard six or a soft four instead of my five for whatever reason. I could pull one of those out and bend the other two a degree and never know the difference. 

 

[Mcgeeno]

This guy just won on the Japan tour carrying his own bag without a caddy and removing the 8-6-4 irons LOL.

 

I've done the same thing and shot the same scores for fun. 

 

Cool to see a guy on tour do it. Made it to the British Open next month with the win!

 

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